Destined to be with you (MXM)

Chapter 3

The rest of the school day went surprisingly well.

The teachers were excellent, and the classes were far more engaging than Ethan had expected. Most of the time, he sat beside Thea, who seemed determined to make his transition to school as easy as possible.

She explained everything, from school rules and upcoming events to the different clubs and activities available for students. Thea was a member of the Arts Club and enthusiastically encouraged him to join.

Although Ethan wasn't particularly interested in art, he signed up anyway.

Right now, he didn't want to focus on anything too serious. He simply wanted something to distract him from the grief that still weighed heavily on his heart.

At lunch, Thea introduced him to two of her closest friends, Tim and Martin.

To Ethan's relief, they welcomed him without hesitation.

The three of them were scholarship students, just like him, and they quickly included him in their conversations.

For the first time since arriving in the city, Ethan felt like he belonged somewhere.

At least a little.

As they ate lunch together, Ethan noticed Nathan and Justin sitting at a table on the opposite side of the cafeteria.

Nathan's green eyes found him more than once.

Justin's gaze did too.

Only Justin's carried a smirk.

The kind that silently reminded Ethan he didn't belong there.

Every time their eyes met, Ethan quickly looked away.

By the end of the school day, however, he found himself feeling surprisingly content.

He had enjoyed his classes.

He had made friends.

And despite himself, he had spent most of the day painfully aware whenever Nathan looked in his direction.

That morning, Edward had driven both Ethan and Justin to school.

The ride had been unbearably awkward.

Justin hadn't spoken a single word and made it very clear that he had no interest in being associated with Ethan.

Not that Ethan blamed him.

They were strangers.

Half-brothers only because of a mistake made eighteen years ago.

When classes ended, Ethan didn't bother searching for the family car.

Justin hadn't told him where to meet, and Ethan didn't want to force his presence on anyone.

So he walked.

The Harrington mansion was more than three kilometers away.

Normally, most students would have complained.

Ethan didn't.

Over the past few weeks, he had endured far worse than a long walk home.

The journey gave him time to think.

Unfortunately, thinking was exactly what he didn't need.

By the time he reached the mansion, the sun had disappeared behind dark clouds.

The evening air was cold enough to send a shiver through his body.

Tomorrow, he would need to bring a jacket.

His clothes felt noticeably older than the expensive outfits most students wore at Kincaid Academy.

His sneakers were worn at the edges.

His jeans had faded from years of use.

But replacing them wasn't a priority.

The little money his mother had left behind was almost gone.

Most of it had been spent on funeral expenses and her cemetery plot.

Before leaving Wimberly, Ethan had visited her grave one last time.

He still remembered the silence of the cemetery.

The freshly turned soil.

The realization that she was really gone.

He didn't know when he would ever be able to visit her again.

The thought made his chest ache.

As he stood outside the mansion, another painful thought crossed his mind.

Maybe Edward had never truly loved his mother.

Maybe theirs had been nothing more than a drunken mistake.

A single night that had resulted in an unwanted child.

A child neither of them had planned for.

A child named Ethan.

As he stepped onto the front porch, raised voices drifted through the partially open window.

He froze.

"You're really going to let him stay here?" Elizabeth demanded. "What am I supposed to tell my parents?"

"Eli," Edward replied tiredly, "it's only for a year. After that, he'll leave for college."

"And?"

"He has nobody else."

Silence followed.

Then Elizabeth spoke again.

"I don't like it, Eddie."

Ethan felt his stomach drop.

"I don't want him here."

A long pause.

Then Edward sighed.

"I know this isn't easy. But I can't send him away."

"Then tell him to stay away from me."

The words pierced straight through Ethan's heart.

He hadn't even realized he was crying until tears rolled down his cheeks.

His vision blurred.

His chest tightened painfully.

After everything he had lost, hearing those words shattered what little hope remained inside him.

Then suddenly, a hand rested gently on his shoulder.

Startled, Ethan turned around.

Nathan stood behind him.

For a brief moment, genuine concern flashed across Nathan's face.

But it vanished almost instantly.

His expression became unreadable again.

Ethan quickly wiped away his tears and lowered his head.

Nathan's familiar citrus cologne drifted toward him.

Strangely, it calmed him.

For one reckless second, Ethan wanted to step forward and hug him.

Just once.

Just long enough to feel safe.

But he knew better.

Nathan probably wouldn't want that.

"What are you doing out here?" Nathan asked quietly.

Ethan remained silent.

"Why don't you go inside?"

Unable to trust his voice, Ethan simply nodded.

Without another word, he walked past Nathan and headed straight for his room.

The moment he closed the door, the loneliness returned.

He sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the photograph of his mother.

Her smiling face stared back at him.

A fresh wave of tears spilled down his cheeks.

Everything felt wrong.

The house.

The family.

The school.

His life.

Nothing felt like home anymore.

Clutching the photograph tightly against his chest, Ethan eventually drifted into an exhausted sleep.

When he woke up, the room was dark.

The digital clock beside the bed read 11:03 PM.

A covered plate of food sat on the bedside table.

A maid must have left it while he was sleeping.

For the first time all day, Ethan realized how hungry he was.

Quietly, he ate every bite.

When he finished, he sat in silence for several minutes.

Then he made his decision.

He couldn't stay here.

Not anymore.

Edward was already fighting with his family because of him.

Elizabeth clearly wanted him gone.

Justin hated him.

The entire house felt uncomfortable whenever he was around.

He couldn't keep being a burden.

Even if it meant struggling alone, he would rather leave than destroy someone else's family.

Slowly, Ethan packed his belongings into his backpack.

It didn't take long.

He had never owned much.

Just a few clothes.

A photograph.

A handful of memories.

And his mother's letter.

When he quietly stepped into the hallway, the mansion was silent.

Most of the lights had been turned off.

From somewhere down the hall, he could hear Justin talking and laughing while playing online games with his friends.

Life seemed normal for everyone else.

Only Ethan's world had fallen apart.

As he walked toward the front door, his thoughts drifted to Nathan.

He remembered the concern he had seen earlier.

The way Nathan had looked at him.

The way he always seemed to appear whenever Ethan needed someone.

But that was ridiculous.

Nathan was only being polite.

Ethan was imagining things.

People like Nathan didn't worry about people like him.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan slowly opened the front door.

A blast of cold air hit his face.

A shiver raced down his spine.

For a moment, he hesitated.

Then he turned and looked back at the mansion one last time.

The place that was supposed to be his home.

The place where he never truly felt welcome.

Tightening his grip on his backpack straps, Ethan stepped into the darkness.

And without looking back again, he walked toward the empty road ahead.